Various types of outdoor cooking grills are in common use and may be found in the prior art.
In general, cooking devices, both gas and charcoal, are relatively large and cumbersome and do not lend themselves to portable use by hikers, boaters, picnickers and the like. Transportation of conventional cooking units is generally not practical in that these units are large, awkward to use and most are not designed for portability and, accordingly, are not effective for use in connection with outdoor activities of the type mentioned above.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an outdoor cooking unit which is of adequate size for cooking and warming a number of food items and also is capable of being folded to a compact, portable size convenient for storage, handling and transportation.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an outdoor cooking unit that is constructed so that it may be erected for use in a few minutes of time and which can be used with either gas, wood or charcoal fuel.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cooking unit which can be disassembled into a limited number of parts.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a highly portable, outdoor cooking unit which allows the user with ease to position the cooking surface at a selected desired height from the heat source.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable barbecue grill which may be easily stored, transported and erected by the user and which has provision for the addition of a drip pan to collect fire debris.
As indicated above, various cookers of the portable type can be found in the prior art. The closest and most pertinent devices of this type are the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,582 shows a portable, foldable roaster in which the front and rear plates and the side plates nay be folded to lie on the bottom to form a flat unit convenient for carrying.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,824 shows a roll-up cooking grill which in an open position provides a relatively flat cooking surface and when stored is configured to fit inside of a cylindrical case.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,327 shows a collapsible, folding barbecue having side plates and back plates hingedly connected to a base plate. The side wall and rear wall are in overlapping relation when folded.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,290 shows a compact, knock-down charcoal cooker which includes an outer pan frame and a fire tray. Assembly pins secure the sides and back against collapse and all detachable elements are storable in the collapsed, knocked-down cooker in a generally rectangular package.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,096 shows a cooker in which the fire pan and cover serve as a housing in which the support plates, front and side panels and grill may be stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,045 shows a collapsible wood-burning stove that can be easily disassembled and assembled. The plates form a box-like structure and are assembled at inter-engaging slots.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,961 shows a portable cooker which may be collapsed with the grill and tray supported between the back and the sides of the support.
While the above patents are representative of the prior art and show various portable and collapsible cooking units and grills, there nevertheless exists a need for a convenient and effective collapsible cooking unit which is versatile, may be easily manufactured and is compact and easily stored and easily transported to a location of use.